School Records

Beginning in first grade the School Record information has been collected using a modified version of the School Archival Records Survey (SARS: Walker, Block, Todis, Barckley & Severson, 1988). A staff member works with school personnel to collect information each year on the following: absences and days tardy, number of school changes in the past year, grades by subject, standardized achievement test reports, academic and behavioral referrals, number of suspension and expulsions, presence of an IEP and special education state classification, level of services, types of services, and total minutes of service in regular classroom, resource or special needs class.

Abstract: The School Records Form (SRF) was used to obtain reliable information from archived school records. It is a modified version of the School Archival Records Survey (SARS: Walker, Block, Todis, Barckley & Severson, 1988). The SRF was collected in the school setting by a member of Fast Track staff. In some instances (e.g., child moved out of state), a school secretary obtained the information via phone interview or through mail-in form. The measure consists of a number of subsets of information: grades, attendance, achievement test scores, disciplinary action, special education, and miscellaneous information about school transitions, grade retentions, and chapter 1 services. SRFs were collected for each child with parental permission beginning for Cohort 1 in the fall of 1992 (Grade 1), and collection has continued each subsequent year. Each SRF collected is for a separate academic year, and information is limited to that academic year. No scales are computed from the school records data. Most values on school records variables are self-explanatory. Class grading systems vary from site to site from school to school within site. Analysts should be aware of variables patterns of missingness on different variables across sites and across years. All variables that do not have an n close to the school records sample n for that year should be closely examined. The numbers in these reports may differ slightly from final numbers, as the school records are currently being updated. However, conclusions about between-group differences are likely to stay the same. Beginning in Grade 7 (study year 8) with Cohort 1 the School Records Form was changed. Certain variables were dropped, values on a number of variables ( most notably the academic course grades) were changed, the TCID variable format was changed, and the variables names for achievement tests in North Carolina and in other sites were switched. These differences are detailed in the Year 8 Appendix.

Who Completed this Measure?: Observer

Cohort 1 - Administrative History

  • Year 02 | grade 1 | age 7
  • Year 03 | grade 2 | age 8
  • Year 04 | grade 3 | age 9
  • Year 05 | grade 4 | age 10
  • Year 06 | grade 5 | age 11
  • Year 07 | grade 6 | age 12

Cohort 2 - Administrative History

  • Year 02 | grade 1 | age 7
  • Year 03 | grade 2 | age 8
  • Year 04 | grade 3 | age 9
  • Year 05 | grade 4 | age 10
  • Year 06 | grade 5 | age 11
  • Year 07 | grade 6 | age 12

Cohort 3 - Administrative History

  • Year 02 | grade 1 | age 7
  • Year 03 | grade 2 | age 8
  • Year 04 | grade 3 | age 9
  • Year 05 | grade 4 | age 10
  • Year 06 | grade 5 | age 11
  • Year 07 | grade 6 | age 12

Technical Reports:

Raw Dataset Name: OxJ

Scored Dataset Name: SCRySOc

Keywords:
Achievement Testing, Disciplinary Records, Language, Mathematics, Reading Levels, Retention, School Attendance, Special Education Record, Subject Grades

Is this Measure Available for Public Use?: No

Obtain Measure:

Hill M. Walker
Professor
Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior
College of Education
1265 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-1265
Email: IVDB email